Irka Mateo “Vamo a Gozá”

Can a folk record be alternative at the same time? Of course, and more seeing where the Dominican scene has been tilted in recent times, this has become common. We already know that Vamo a Gozá will be a reference in the future as Irka’s music has no age and gives the music scene a production that apart from entertaining educates.

Whitest Taino Alive “Manda Nudes”

It wasn’t a mistake that the Dominican trio appeared in the top 10 Latin albums of the Rolling Stone, for many it was a surprise, but not for us.

It is a local project formed by Cohoba, Cesar Pineda and Haru (DaBeat Ortiz, Dominicanye West, Jon Blon Jovi). Their proposal that goes with the new times, irreverent, spoiled, risky and is what they show in “Manda Nudes”, finding collaborations with artists such as Acentoh!, Vfro, Maeloo and La Ñapa.

Also adding other colors to the entrenched genre of Trap, merged with Merenge (QLON) and Bachata (La Empanada).

Boundary “Fantasmagórico”

I’ll start by clarifying something: Boundary is the project of Josué Suero Javier. It is a time traveler just 17 years old, and in times when electronics has taken other paths this young man offers novelty with his way of experimenting with sounds.

Which makes it great – each tone and each melody seems like a code to communicate with someone out there. What was born as a room project made Boundary a revelation of this 2017.

Jonatan Piña Duluc “Drip/Culebra”

Jonatan Piña Duluc is a guitarist, saxophonist, vocalist and leader of the legendary rock band santiaguera “El Trío” in 2016 launches “Proyecto Piña Duluc” based on the union of Jazz and Dominican rhythms on the same line.

In 2017, Jonas went further in a proposal as soloist building an experimental jazz with high degrees of psychedelia, a mix that results in Drip / Culebra a production where the musician and composer is in charge of everything and brings the darkest side of jazz to to empathize with the Afro-Dominican.

As if it were a rock opera in two acts, summarized in 14 songs and 33 minutes.

Alex Ferreira “Canapé”

We have known Alex Ferreira for a long time and we have listened to many Alexes in the way of his musical career.

The sober Alex, the electric, the Alex with string arrangements, the one who starts his career, the Alex who lives in Spain, but we have also met an Alex Tropical, and 2017 he introduced us to a new Alex, an Alex more mature, who has learned from his path and shows it in Canapé.

“Simplicity” the key word of this production, 10 songs where we find from a cover in English (An Audience With The Pope), songs with that tropical flavor (Ven que te quiero ver/ Me La Saludan) or dramatic (Que Extraña Tu Manera de Decir Que Sí) that undoubtedly leaves us one of the best productions in the singer-songwriter’s catalog.

Riccie Oriach “Viaje Al Infinito”

Without a doubt Riccie Oriach is the artist of the year for the local scene.

A phenomenon worthy of study, presentations at the main festivals on the island, many parties, accompanied by a band of friends who enjoy what they do. From Prima Tecata to La Guayaba, it shows that being urban is not just singing dembow, and it had to be reflected.

This is how Viaje Al Infinito was born, 5 songs that travel in the sounds that explore the Dominican music with its influences going beyond our borders, with many colors and many stories.

Here we augur the beginning of an extensive and solid career, full of Dominican folklore.

MULA “Aguas”

When Anabel, Cristabel and Rachel decided to create the music that would identify them, they were not afraid, being “typecast” was the least important thing, who would think of using reggaeton and urban merengue bases to be turned into pop with dark lights and electronics? But “Aguas” is the result of all this, after MULA (2015) it was already clear that the formula would work.

Brazil, The United States, Colombia, El Salvador, Honduras and The Dominican Republic were the countries where in 2017 they carried their “waters”. Last year they started it with a pre-release recorded on flexi-disc vinyl, as well as collaborations, and more songs would be part of the tracklist of his career.

“Aguas” is the result of their maturity as a group, a luxury production, danceable, interesting, each song is a hybrid, from bachata, to trap, from the forgotten merenhouse to the dominant dembow.